The Greatness of Alikeshvara Tirtha at the Reva-Sagara Confluence

Verse 1 (skanda.5.380.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततः क्रोशान्तरे गच्छेदलिकातीर्थमुत्तमम्। अलिका नाम गान्धर्वी कुशीला कुटिलाशया।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tataḥ krośāntare gacchedalikātīrthamuttamam| alikā nāma gāndharvī kuśīlā kuṭilāśayā||

Shri Markandeya said: Thereafter, at a distance of one krosha, one should go to the excellent tirtha of Alika. Alika was the name of a Gandharva woman, of bad conduct and crooked heart.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.380.2)

चित्रसेनस्य दौहित्री विद्यानन्दमृषिं गता। वव्रे ते स्वीकृता तेन दशवर्षाणि तं श्रिता।

citrasenasya dauhitrī vidyānandamṛṣiṁ gatā| vavre te svīkṛtā tena daśavarṣāṇi taṁ śritā||

The granddaughter of Chitrasena, she went to the sage Vidyananda; she chose him, was accepted by him, and remained devoted to him for ten years.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.380.3)

पतिं जघान तं सुप्तं कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे। गत्वा निवेदयामास पितरं रत्नवल्लभम्।

patiṁ jaghāna taṁ suptaṁ kasmiṁścitkāraṇāntare| gatvā nivedayāmāsa pitaraṁ ratnavallabham||

For some reason, she killed her husband while he slept. She then went and reported this to her father, Ratnavallabha.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.380.4)

पित्रा मात्रा च संत्यक्ता बहुभिर्भर्त्सिता नृप। गर्भघ्नी त्वं पतिघ्नी त्वमिति दर्शय मा मुखम्।

pitrā mātrā ca saṁtyaktā bahubhirbhartsitā nṛpa| garbhaghnī tvaṁ patighnī tvamiti darśaya mā mukham||

O king, she was abandoned by both father and mother, and rebuked by many: "You are a slayer of the unborn, you are a slayer of your husband — do not show me your face!"

Verse 5 (skanda.5.380.5)

ब्रह्मघ्नी याहि पापिष्ठे परित्यक्ता गृहाद्व्रज।

brahmaghnī yāhi pāpiṣṭhe parityaktā gṛhādvraja||

"You are a slayer of a brahmin, O most sinful one! Go, depart from this house — you are cast out!"

Verse 6 (skanda.5.380.6)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। इति दुःखान्विता मूढा ताभ्यां निर्भर्त्सिता सती। तनुं त्यक्तुं मनश्चक्रे प्राप्य तीर्थान्तरं क्वचित्।

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| iti duḥkhānvitā mūḍhā tābhyāṁ nirbhartsitā satī| tanuṁ tyaktuṁ manaścakre prāpya tīrthāntaraṁ kvacit||

Markandeya said: Thus overwhelmed with sorrow, the bewildered woman, rebuked by both her parents, resolved to give up her body upon reaching some other tirtha.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.380.7)

संपृच्छ्यमाना तीर्थानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिर। श्रुत्वा पापहरं तीर्थं रेवासागरसङ्गमे।

saṁpṛcchyamānā tīrthāni brāhmaṇebhyo yudhiṣṭhira| śrutvā pāpaharaṁ tīrthaṁ revāsāgarasaṅgame||

O Yudhishthira, inquiring about the tirthas from brahmins, she heard of the sin-removing tirtha at the confluence of the Reva and the ocean.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.380.8)

तत्र पार्थ तपश्चक्रे निराहारा जितव्रता। कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रपाराकमहासांतपनादिभिः।

tatra pārtha tapaścakre nirāhārā jitavratā| kṛcchrātikṛcchrapārākamahāsāṁtapanādibhiḥ||

O Partha, there, remaining without food and steadfast in her vow, she performed austerity through the krichchhra, atikrichchhra, paraka, mahasantapana, and other such penances.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.380.9)

चान्द्रायणैर्ब्रह्मकूर्चैः कर्शयामास वै तनुम्। एवं वर्षशतं सार्द्धं व्यतीतं तपसा नृप।

cāndrāyaṇairbrahmakūrcaiḥ karśayāmāsa vai tanum| evaṁ varṣaśataṁ sārddhaṁ vyatītaṁ tapasā nṛpa||

Through the chandrayana and brahmakurcha vows, she emaciated her body. O king, thus a hundred and fifty years passed in austerity.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.380.10)

तस्या विशुद्धिमिच्छन्त्याः शिवध्यानार्चनादिभिः। ततः कतिपयाहोभिस्तस्या ज्ञात्वा हठं परम्। परितुष्टः शिवः प्राह पार्वत्या परिचोदितः।

tasyā viśuddhimicchantyāḥ śivadhyānārcanādibhiḥ| tataḥ katipayāhobhistasyā jñātvā haṭhaṁ param| parituṣṭaḥ śivaḥ prāha pārvatyā paricoditaḥ||

As she, desiring purification, meditated on and worshipped Shiva and the like, after some days, having known her extreme persistence, Shiva, greatly pleased and urged on by Parvati, spoke:

Verse 11 (skanda.5.380.11)

ईश्वर उवाच। पुत्रि मा साहसं कार्षीः शुद्धदेहासि साम्प्रतम्। तुष्टोऽहं तपसा तेऽद्य वरं वरय वाञ्छितम्।

īśvara uvāca| putri mā sāhasaṁ kārṣīḥ śuddhadehāsi sāmpratam| tuṣṭo'haṁ tapasā te'dya varaṁ varaya vāñchitam||

Ishvara said: Daughter, do not commit such an extreme act — your body is now purified. I am pleased with your austerity; choose today the boon you desire.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.380.12)

अलिकोवाच। यदि तुष्टोऽसि देवेश वरार्हा यद्यहं मता। नानापापाग्नितप्ताया देहि शुद्धिं परां मम।

alikovāca| yadi tuṣṭo'si deveśa varārhā yadyahaṁ matā| nānāpāpāgnitaptāyā dehi śuddhiṁ parāṁ mama||

Alika said: O Lord of the gods, if you are pleased, and if you deem me worthy of a boon, grant supreme purification to me, who am scorched by the fire of manifold sins.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.380.13)

त्वं मे नाथो ह्यनाथायास्त्वमेव जगतां गुरुः। दीनानाथसमुद्धर्ता शरण्यः सर्वदेहिनाम्।

tvaṁ me nātho hyanāthāyāstvameva jagatāṁ guruḥ| dīnānāthasamuddhartā śaraṇyaḥ sarvadehinām||

You alone are the lord of me, the protectorless; you alone are the teacher of all the worlds, the uplifter of the wretched and helpless, the refuge of all embodied beings.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.380.14)

ईश्वर उवाच। त्वं भद्रे शुद्धदेहासि मा किंचिदनुशोचिथाः। स्वनाम्ना स्थापयित्वेह मां ततः स्वर्गमेष्यसि।

īśvara uvāca| tvaṁ bhadre śuddhadehāsi mā kiṁcidanuśocithāḥ| svanāmnā sthāpayitveha māṁ tataḥ svargameṣyasi||

Ishvara said: O good woman, your body is now pure — grieve not at all. Having established me here under your own name, you shall then attain heaven.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.380.15)

इत्युक्त्वा देवदेवेशस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। अलिकापि ततो भक्त्या स्नात्वा संस्थाप्य शङ्करम्।

ityuktvā devadeveśastatraivāntaradhīyata| alikāpi tato bhaktyā snātvā saṁsthāpya śaṅkaram||

Having said this, the Lord of gods vanished right there. Then Alika too, with devotion, bathed and established Shankara,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.380.16)

दत्त्वा दानं च विप्रेभ्यो लोकमाप महोत्कटम्। पितरं च समासाद्य मातरं च युधिष्ठिर।

dattvā dānaṁ ca viprebhyo lokamāpa mahotkaṭam| pitaraṁ ca samāsādya mātaraṁ ca yudhiṣṭhira||

and, having given gifts to brahmins, attained a most exalted world. O Yudhishthira, then, having reunited with her father and mother,

Verse 17 (skanda.5.380.17)

तैश्च संमानिता प्रीत्या बन्धुभिः सालिका ततः। विमानवरमारूढा दिव्यमालान्विता नृप।

taiśca saṁmānitā prītyā bandhubhiḥ sālikā tataḥ| vimānavaramārūḍhā divyamālānvitā nṛpa||

she, Alika, was honored by them and by her kinsmen with affection; then, O king, mounted upon an excellent celestial chariot and adorned with divine garlands,

Verse 18 (skanda.5.380.18)

गौरीलोकमनुप्राप्तसखित्वेऽद्यापि मोदते। ततः प्रभृति तत्पार्थ विख्यातमलिकेश्वरम्।

gaurīlokamanuprāptasakhitve'dyāpi modate| tataḥ prabhṛti tatpārtha vikhyātamalikeśvaram||

having attained companionship in Gauri's world, she still rejoices there today. O Partha, from then on that tirtha became renowned as Alikeshvara.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.380.19)

तत्र तीर्थे तु या नारी पुरुषो वा युधिष्ठिर। स्नात्वा सम्पूजयेद्भक्त्या महादेवमुमायुतम्।

tatra tīrthe tu yā nārī puruṣo vā yudhiṣṭhira| snātvā sampūjayedbhaktyā mahādevamumāyutam||

O Yudhishthira, at that tirtha, whatever woman or man, having bathed, worships with devotion Mahadeva together with Uma,

Verse 20 (skanda.5.380.20)

स पापैर्विविधैर्मुक्तो लोकमाप्नोति शांकरम्। मानसं वाचिकं पापं कायिकं यत्पुरा कृतम्।

sa pāpairvividhairmukto lokamāpnoti śāṁkaram| mānasaṁ vācikaṁ pāpaṁ kāyikaṁ yatpurā kṛtam||

is freed from manifold sins and attains the world of Shankara. Whatever mental, verbal, or bodily sin was committed before,

Verse 21 (skanda.5.380.21)

सर्वं तद्विलयं याति भोजयित्वा द्विजान्सदा। दीपं दत्त्वा च देवाग्रे न रोगैः परिभूयते।

sarvaṁ tadvilayaṁ yāti bhojayitvā dvijānsadā| dīpaṁ dattvā ca devāgre na rogaiḥ paribhūyate||

all of it dissolves through the constant feeding of brahmins there. And by offering a lamp before the deity, one is not overcome by diseases.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.380.22)

धूपपात्रं विमानं च घण्टां कलशमेव च। दत्त्वा देवाय राजेन्द्र शाक्रं लोकमवाप्नुयात्।

dhūpapātraṁ vimānaṁ ca ghaṇṭāṁ kalaśameva ca| dattvā devāya rājendra śākraṁ lokamavāpnuyāt||

O king of kings, by offering an incense-vessel, a shrine-model, a bell, and likewise a pot to the deity, one attains the world of Shakra.